Pages

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Hi friends!I have a favor to ask of you, my dear readers who have children, if you are willing to, could you send me a favorite digital photo (in high resolution) of your little one as a baby or toddler? Preferably looking at the camera or smiling? You see, I am going to print out the pictures and have them laminated and wirebound into a little book for Paige's birthday. She LOVES looking at babies and she has such delight in seeing other little smiling faces. I thought it would make for a fun gift and I know she would like it. You can email the photo to meandweefamily@gmail.com if you'd like to be part of Paige's little book. I promise not to sell the book or show it around to a bunch of people. It's for private use. I also plan to make a book with a picture of each family member smiling, with their name below the photo. That way she can learn who everyone is and can provide comfort if she's feeling insecure. Thanks so much for your help with my little birthday project!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

I am in LOVE with this post by SouleMama. As someone who formally studied art, I'm really looking forward to the time when Paige shows an interest in coloring, drawing, and art in general. She still has a hard time using her hands to pick up small items so now isn't the time to introduce it. But, that particular post really inspired me on how to get things rolling when the time is right...it will be such a great opportunity for fun, confidence and pride-building, and for making choices (not to mention the development of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination).I had to share it with you and I hope you enjoy it!

Hi friends!I've spent some time and re-listed lots of items that haven't been seen in my shop for a while. I did custom silhouettes for customers back in 2006 and then stopped because it didn't fit in with my career goals at the time. Now, I'm back to offering custom silhouette portraits of your or your loved ones' children. The details are in my shop.Here is a silhouette portrait of Paige I did when she was 7 months old (using a photo I took of her profile). It's funny how different her profile is now 4 months later. I'd add more hair in the back in little flips and a bow on top. :) I can do any color of frame around it...this one is Robin's Egg Blue. They go for $35 which covers the illustration time and the cost/time for the portrait printing. Additional prints or materials like calling cards would cost less since the illustration has already been done. Feel free to email me if you are interested in one! Or check out my shop here.

Monday, March 29, 2010

This past Saturday we were at your cousin's second birthday party. I remember last year being pregnant at that party! It seemed surreal to me that you were there able to hit the balloons that were around the room and crawl around playing with all the great toys. Someone asked how old you were and I said "10 months" and that's when it hit me. You'd be 11 months the very next day. That's right, yesterday you turned 11 months and I know it's the last little milestone date before you turn 1. It makes me tear up every time I think about it. I just want to bottle up these moments and savor them for always. The song "Time in a Bottle" is perfect right about now. Take a listen here and listen to those lyrics. *sigh* I WOULD save every day like a treasure and again spend them with you.I really savor the times I get to put you to bed at night when you nuzzle into my neck and shoulder as you get sleepy. Or the times I get up to feed you before you are officially up for the day...you are sleepy and it's dark. After you finish your bottle you spin around and lay your head on my shoulder while I hold and rock you in our little yellow chair. I can always feel your right hand clinging to my shirt while I listen to your slow even breaths. I try to sit like that as long as possible before laying you back in your cozy bed for your last little bits of rest. I try to take mental pictures of each moment and greedily shove them into pockets in my mind.This past month has been so much fun. Your personality is so fun to discover. You are silly when you do "peek a boo" on your changing pad after your bath. You hide under the towel and then surprise us. You always laugh like the joke is new; after doing it over and over and over. You also love music and shriek and yelp while it's on. You bounce around on your butt too; if you aren't busy clapping or tapping your lap to the music's beat. I think Uncle Jason the music teacher must be excited about that. I'm sure he'll be trying to get you in a punk band or some sort of choir soon enough. :)You've grown in your top 4 front teeth along with your bottom 2 front ones. Your toothy grin is so sweet, even if I was a little sad at first as I missed your gummy smile. I think your smile is so great. And finally, you've been standing up like a champ. You are venturing a cruising step here and there while you hold on but I think you still have to get the hang of your balance for a while before you start working your way around the room. It's fun to watch you strive to use the muscles God gave you. I'm here to help you in any way I can; to help you do your best and to achieve all the wonderful things you want to. I know you can do it and I'll always be here to cheer you on and love you all the way. I love you forever and ever.Love always,Mama

Friday, March 26, 2010

No, it's not Thanksgiving. I try to tell this to Paige, but she just can't let go of this book. She never tires of the fun cartoons of the turkeys in this fun countdown from 5 turkeys to 1. Each page has a shiny "feather" attached that seems to give a lot of enjoyment too. A great book!I hope you've enjoyed this week of Paige's Pages!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

This is the quote that got me through the hard times when we had all of our miscarriages, fertility issues and wishing so much for a baby of our own. I spent a lot of time in a dark place. A sad place. A place filled with fear and doubt. I started to believe that nothing was going to work out for me. The pit I was in felt deeper and wider with each day. It was hellish. Then, I discovered the power of positive thinking. Not as a magic pill, but as a way to make myself feel better while waiting for the great things to come my way. They say that sending out positive thoughts and energy will bring positive things back to you tenfold. I'd tried everything else, so I figured this was worth a shot. It took a lot of practice, but I forced myself to try and turn every negative thought into a positive one. Over time, I began to find myself thinking in positive ways from the start. I felt so much better! Life felt full of possibility! And having this quote to stare at every day really helped. In our darkest hours we cannot see it, but there is a lot going on behind the scenes in our favor. We have to have faith that our dreams are coming to fruition and they are simmering there. That the stars are aligning just right to bring us our dreams. We have to believe that there is a host of wonderful treasures just waiting for us around the corner. Assume it is so and let the powers that be do their work. It takes time to create your miracle. This quote continues to help me and I wanted to share it with everyone else. So, I designed this piece of art so that it could be hung up proudly. It's 8 x 10, but I could also make it in 5 x 7 if you'd like. Would you like a print of your own? You can get one here.

I'm sure most of you have seen series of these "goodnight" books all over the place featuring different states and locales. This version was gifted to Paige around the time of her birth. I grew up in Maine, so it is a fun way to introduce her to all the wonderful things that makes my home state special. I personally have seen these books around and thought they looked kind of cheesy. But, I must say, the brightly colored illustrations really have her interested through the whole book. She's always happy to have it read to her. And I feel a little bit closer to home which is a nice little perk for me. :)

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

It's very simple in that it just has an animal baby on one page and the next page is a flap (reads "how big is baby?) that lifts to reveal a baby and the words "Soooo big." The illustrations are colorful and vibrant, which Paige loves. She also loves lifting the flaps on her own and seeing the baby beneath. She likes seeing other babies in pictures...which leads me to the idea of going on flickr to print out a few pictures of random babies and then have them laminated and bound to our own little "babies" book. Just a thought! I also thought it would be fun to print pictures of each family member with their names and have that laminated and bound too...Anyhoo, she loves this book and it's slowly deteriorating with wear and tear. The mark of a winner!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Hi there!Today's book is called "Little Green" by Keith Baker.Paige has loved looking at it and hearing the tale since she was 9 weeks old and in her little bouncy chair. She continues to squeal with delight at it (she seems to have a crush on the guy in the book since she always smiles and shrieks when she sees him). The guy watches a little green hummingbird out his window and observes as it flies around in different directions so he can paint it's path. It's cute.

I think the appeal is the very colorful and vibrant illustrations that cover the pages. One neat thing for when she is older is that there's a little caterpillar hidden on each page for the kiddo to try and find (Where's Waldo style).

Monday, March 22, 2010

Hi friends!I thought I could spend this week showcasing some of Paige's very favorite books. (note these are for the under 1 set) Not MY favorites...hers. I have lots of the classic board books and I figured there were certain ones that she was sure to love which turned out she could sort of care less about. Then, I have others I'd never heard of and she took an immediate shine to a lot of those.I won't bother showcasing one of her top ones..."The Very Hungry Caterpillar" which most people know and love and is the exception to her classic book "distaste." And I will have to show you her "Pat the Bunny" book when this week is over. She liked it so much it is destroyed.

On to Paige's lesser-known loves:Today's first pick goes to "Tails" by Matthew Van Fleet.

It's full of textures and colorful illustrations...but it also has special flaps and pull-tabs that create motion. It's a full interactive experience and Paige loves opening the flaps and pulling the tabs herself. She never tires of looking at this book; but I always bear in mind that she can't be left alone with this book or she will rip apart all the special features. She only enjoys this book while sitting in my lap. Not only a fun read, but a fun book to EXPERIENCE. Paige highly recommends it!

Friday, March 19, 2010

We won the nursery contest! Thanks so much for all of your votes and your time! I've never won anything before...it feels great! I'm so excited that Little P will have a photoshoot that will commemorate her first year of life and in her own happy room.Thanks again for your votes.Many hugs!And, just because, here is a photo of Paige in her most relaxed mode. Must be nice!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Hi friends!I finished my recent sewing lessons and made a little skirt. I learned a lot and decided to make something on my own to build my confidence. I made 2 zippered pillow cases to cover the bland and boring pillows on our couch. I'm thrilled with out they turned out and they were very easy (albeit a little time consuming). I used this tutorial which made it so simple and easy. Once I did one, I was able to do the other from memory 2 weeks later. Easy, right? It's been nice finding another creative outlet and my next project will be a tote bag. More ambitious! No word yet on the nursery contest results, but I will keep you posted!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Hello!I've had a few emails and requests as of late to show the rug we chose for the nursery last year. I did a post about it here back when it happened, but here is the photo again. It's a shag rug from Crate and Barrel and we've been happy with it! It doesn't slide around...we got the pad to go under it.

And, here's some new photos of Little P in honor of St. Patrick's Day. I spent a lot of last weekend working on our family tree and there's several lines (particularly the ones for my maiden name of Cassidy and our current last name of Carty) that trace back to Ireland for both Chris and myself. And lots of other places too!

See? She's clapping! And pulling herself up! She must really like this holiday.

Paige began to do a little bit of waving recently. She doesn't do it all the time, but it's cute. She also, as of yesterday, began clapping. She does seem to love having this new skill and does it often, especially if we clap first. Every time she does something new it's like a fun surprise for us. Like a little treasure we've stumbled upon. Really, it's another gift with the passage of time. It's easy to worry when your child isn't doing the same things the other babies are doing yet. But then she looks at you with glee and starts clapping, and well, all those worries melt right away and you know everything will be just fine. She will do and she will conquer. In her own time.

Speaking of time, I got Monday and Tuesday all to myself while Chris took good care of Paige alone. Thanks honey! You see, he went on a ski weekend starting on Thursday night and returned on Sunday afternoon. He had lots of good time with his buddies...skiing, drinking and just basically being guys for a few days. I was here alone with a sick baby, but Chris had this trip planned for a loooooong time so I was determined to do my best with the situation. It was exhausting; how do single mothers do it?? Since I didn't get a "break" that I normally do over the weekend, he stayed home Monday and Tuesday (since his job had a mandatory vacation day thing going on) and took care of things. On Monday I went to the art museum up in Manchester, NH (more on that HERE) and on Tuesday I did some touristy things over in Concord, MA. I toured the Louisa May Alcott house (you know, the author of Little Women) which was pretty interesting indeed. I then did some shopping in downtown Concord and enjoyed the wonderful springy weather. So warm and sunny! Well, for here anyway. I also finished my first sewing project that I did on my own without help. I'll show those results tomorrow. I thought sewing would be hard, but it turns out that it's fun and pretty simple once you know how to use the machine. Here's to taking time to learn new skills! Here's to wonderful husbands who give you that time. And here's to little ones learning to clap! Isn't time great? Yay! *clapping sound* *applause*P.S. I'm charging my camera right now; so soon I can post some new photos and videos. And also, today is the last day to vote in the nursery contest! :) Go Number 3!!!

Friday, March 12, 2010

Over several weeks' time, Chris would come home from the grocery store disappointed in failed attempts to find "Acai" juice. He always found it mixed with other things, but never alone. And when he did, it was always crazy expensive so he would leave it on the shelf. He'd heard it was a superfood and had all kinds of crazy good things in it. Antioxidants. Oh, the antioxidants. Like a miracle elixr of the ages. I heard about it all the time after his trips. It became a "thing." Anyway, he found his beloved juice at Whole Foods market not too long ago and has been basking in the glory of how he will now live forever. (or something like that.) He is psyched about the darned antioxidants.One of those words thrown around a lot now. I've heard that word in this house quite a bit. sigh. I need to research more about what they will do for me if I were to partake. Sprout wings? Discover the meaning of life? Solve world hunger? Become SuperGirl?Paige has been very sick with this cold, as you know, and I have a sniffle here and there but am still fighting strong! I said to Chris:" This cold Paige has is so awful! I have NO IDEA how you don't have it yet!" As he shoved things into his work bag on his way off to work he grinned and said "It's the antioxidants."sigh.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Hi friends!If you could spare a moment, I was hoping you could vote for our nursery in the Kristina Young Photography nursery contest. Ours is NUMBER 3 ...there are 5 finalists. VOTE HERE.We're allowed to vote ONCE per day until midnight, March 17th. I hope you will!The winner will get a free photo session for their baby in their nursery. I'd love to win this and have a professional document Paige in her happy space. Thanks so much for your help!!!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Internet, help meeeeeeee!!!!YUCK.As I mentioned last time, Paige has a bad cold and cough. Every little sniffle and cough seems to trigger a throw-up session. No, not just a little gag or spit up. It goes like this:

All of this happens without much warning or time to run for cover and it's usually when I'm holding her. She barfs ALL OVER herself and me. No joke, my glasses were covered, my entire outfit soaked through to the skin. And Paige...well...you can't even recognize who she is under the goo. She looks like Carolanne after she falls out of the weird ghost warp hole as a slimy mess in Poltergeist. So, I run to the kitchen where the floor is easy to clean and I peel off her clothes and then mine and I jiggety jig around the house to the bathroom upstairs where we both shiver as I give her a quick bath and I jump in the shower for 2 seconds to wash the mess off (after her bath of course) and out of my hair. Jiggety Jig Jiggety Jig!!! I then run all twinkle toes trying not to fall on my bare saggy butt as I try to find clothes for the both of us...all the while leaving a wet footprint trail.I think this is so far a once per day occurance. At least on the weekend it happens to Chris. (hee hee.) Sorry honey. At least I'm there to help you when it happens to YOU. So, it's fair that I can make a little joke. :)Will this vomit fest ever end? Will Little P starve? Will she keep her antibiotics down? (minor ear infection). AAAAGGH!

Monday, March 8, 2010

Hi friends,Little P is very sick with a bad cold and cough...we're off to the doctor soon. Poor little thing! She coughs so hard that she throws up. So, it's been hard for her to keep any food or milk down and she's just not interested in eating. This is the first time she's been sick like this. Her fever comes and goes and I know she'll be fine. I just want to make sure an infection isn't setting in. While she is recovering, she's managed to start crawling on her hands and knees instead of her trademark army crawl. And earlier today, she kept holding up a blanket to hide her face to play peekaboo! She would hold it up and pull it down really fast with a big smile on her face every time. I'd yell Peekaboo! for her. I wish I had my video camera going for that! She loved that she was being funny. Anyhoo, here are a few videos since there aren't much for new photos what with all the illness and everything. There's one of Paige, today, managing to play with her toys despite her cold. See her new crawl? And the other is of her and Chris...a little snippet of her dinner time and why I get up every day and give thanks.Much love!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Hi friends!I'm sorry about the silence...I had my surgery on Monday and have been recovering and was sick as a dog on Tuesday as result of the anesthesia. It was like the worst sea-sickness ever with a horrible migraine. I couldn't even lift my head! Things are looking up though and I'm able to move around and do what I need to. The doc said the procedure went great and I should see good results. Of course, I have about 2 months before I can have any clue to that, so we shall see. Thanks for all the wonderful emails and well-wishes!

Monday, March 1, 2010

Dear Little P.,Yesterday you turned 10 months old. My beautiful girl! No more single digit months and you are leaving your infancy behind you. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little melancholy about it...I get scared about the time going by too fast. I wanted you for so long and then you came and now you're already 10 months old. I barely got a chance to really drink your infancy in. Luckily I paid close attention and gave you my all. I wouldn't trade a moment of the closeness we've shared for anything in the world. I'm so lucky to be sharing your life with you; I know that one day you won't want me quite so involved as your break out into your independence. So, for now I'm enjoying our snuggles and laughs. This past week you grew in 4 of your top teeth. Youch! You'd had one tooth up there, and then the other 3 came out to join the fun. You can sort of see them in one of the blurry pictures included in this post. You sure like to move a lot when you smile...it's hard to get a picture. It's a nice problem to have. You started pulling yourself up on the windows in the living room and on the ottoman. You look so tall when you stand! My little string bean. You should have seen yourself in your first Kindermusik class last week...I never knew you were such a social butterfly! You didn't want anything to do with me...you crawled right away to visit with all the other babies. You inspected their shoes, touched their faces, tried to poke their eyes (sheesh), smiled and shrieked at all of them...you really loved being there. Such a ham! You loved all the songs and laughed and screamed with glee during the little dances we had to do. You certainly weren't shy and you were very friendly. I can't explain it easily, but I felt so proud of you when we were on our way home from that class. I guess I finally saw a glimpse into the personality of my sweet little treasure. It is amazing to see you becoming the person you are meant to be. How lucky your Dad and I are to be able to witness it and guide you. There is a song, or lullaby rather, that I like with the words: "I will be your home, I will be your guide, I will be your friend, always on your side, sleep now in your room, quiet of the night, surrounded by the moon, 'till you see the light." (you can hear it here) Every time I hear this song I think of you and how I want to protect you and keep you safe...for now I can do that. We are your home and we will be your guide. We will love you for always and forever. But you knew that.Love always and always more,Mama